True. And they somehow managed to get to the Easter Island. And from there, the nearest continental point is in Chile. So, seafaring seems like a plausible way

True. And they somehow managed to get to the Easter Island. And from there, the nearest continental point is in Chile. So, seafaring seems like a plausible way for Austronesians to reach South America. Going over Siberia appears unlikely - you got seafaring people used to tropical climates (they never saw snow or ice) suddenly dropping the seafaring stuff and becoming winter-hardy and walking all the way across Siberia and then down the North America... quite a stretch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island